Our Choices
by Eclipsing
Summary: A year of peace has passed and along with it came inevitable changes in their relationship. But as one is ready to embrace it, the other is not. Rated T for Ichigo's bad mouth. TWO-SHOT
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: (To anyone in the US) HAPPY THANKSGIVING!**

**I am so grateful for all of my reviewers that I decided to write a short fanfiction of our favorite couple (again). It was supposed to be a one-shot but as I was writing I noticed how long this was becoming. So I decided to make this into a two-shot. I'm almost done with the other chapter and I will upload it early next week. **

**And don't worry, Stepping Forward will be uploaded in time as well so this didn't push me back at all. **

**Well, I hope you enjoy reading this and don't forget to review!**

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Bleach

**

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Summary: **A year of peace has passed and along with it came changes in their relationship. But as one is ready to embrace it, the other is not.

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One year.

It had already been one year since the end of the Winter War and the defeat of the traitor of Soul Society, Aizen. Peace had returned to both Soul Society and Karakura town as the once ryoka of Seireitei became a celebrated hero in the afterworld.

But that didn't stop the world from turning for even a second. Once the weeklong celebration ended, the great hero and his friends had to return to the real world in order to continue school. They've been absent for months and it was an undeniable fact that they would have to restart their freshman year all over again. His friends were willing to do this, but when they realized that it would look bad in their college resumes to have repeated a year, they immediately agreed to Urahara's suggestion of alter the entire school's memory with the Memory Chikan.

Every one of them returned as second year students of their high school, and with as another year passed, they were now in their third, final year. College entrance exams, research papers and occasional Hollows were occupying the life of Kurosaki Ichigo, the great hero of the Winter War, along with the rest of his friends. Nothing much had changed over the past few hectic years. Everyone was the same and the world was still turning in a 24 hour cycle. But if there was one change one must point to, then that would be the relationship of the great hero with his partner and precious nakama: Kuchiki Rukia.

At first, nothing seemed different. They were still bickering like any other day, with occasional kicks-to-the-shin by the woman, and their constant name calling. But if anyone was to watch them more closely, one would see some obvious changes between them.

The longing glances they gave one another.

The occasional times when their hands would accidently—but sometimes deliberately—touch but how they never pull away. bask

The silent moments when they would do nothing but just bask in one another's presence.

All these changes might have been caused by the trauma they both had encountered during the war. How they would worry that any moment the other would get killed. How they would hold each other's bloody and battered body that was at the brink of death, trying to persuade each other to not close their eyes. It was only natural that their bond would deepen to the extent it broke the laws of being _nakamas_.

They knew it was wrong. They knew that if they truly considered themselves as _friends_ then none of these touches or longing should be tugging at them. Their relationship was already being strained enough as it was by how well they could still read each other's mind with just a look. And there was no one else in the world that knew one another better than them. But with each passing day, the changes became inevitable.

That was why even now, as Ichigo was nipping on the lower lips of Rukia, they weren't wondering of the consequences or how far they have already passed the boundaries of merely pure _nakamas_. Just like everything else, their touches became more frequent and it wasn't long before their lips started to lock onto another every once in awhile. But like every changes that had occurred, they would just dismiss it like it had never happened.

But they were slowly losing control of this vicious cycle.

Rukia sighed as his big, calloused hand gently caressed her cheek as their lips continued to dance around one another, already having perfected their dance that no friends should ever engage in.

Ichigo, who had one hand on the bed to keep himself propped up, moved his head to an angle to continue nipping at her swollen lips. Her hand was over his own that was on her warm cheek, while the other one was resting on her lap.

That morning was supposed to be no different from yesterday or any other day. Rukia had gone into his room to wake him up to get ready for school when she noticed the dark bags under his eyes. It was then she had realized how tired he was these days with college coming around the corner and Hollows appearing nonstop throughout the day. She had sat on the edge of his bed and gently woke him up. As he grudgingly sat up, he was immediately taken back by her gentle expression even as she joked about his bed hair, though she softly ran her fingers through it. He couldn't stop himself from leaning closer to claim her lips as his own, and it seemed like she didn't mind all that much.

When the need for air became too much, the two pulled away from each other and opened their eyes to stare into the pairs in front of them. Their warm breaths fanned over both their faces as silent, comfortable seconds ticked by.

"Your breath stinks," she told him as if they weren't making out only a few moments ago.

"Che," he scoffed as he leaned to kiss her lips one more time before getting out of bed. He stretched his stiff muscles and pulled his shirt off of him. "What time is it?" he asked, not bothered by the fact she was still in his room as he undressed.

"You have an hour to get ready so I suggest you take a shower," she said.

He nodded in agreement. As he grabbed his new set of clothes, he walked to the door and held it open. "You leaving or are you just going to sit there all day?"

Rukia got up and made her way out of his room. As they made their way down the hall, Rukia continued forward to go downstairs while Ichigo turned to go to the bathroom. Again nothing much was passed between them, especially about what had occurred only minutes ago in his room.

As Rukia was chatting with Yuzu on what to put into everyone's bento, Ichigo entered the kitchen with his hair still slightly damp. He sat down next in front of Karin and started his breakfast while she stared at him skeptically.

"What?" he frowned at her through a mouthful of rice, "Is there something on my face?"

Karin shook her head. "Nope."

"Then why are you staring?"

She shrugged her shoulder as she set down the glass of water she was drinking. "You just seem tense nowadays, that's all."

Ichigo blinked at her. "Tense? How so?"

"Like there's something you want to do or say but can't," she answered him before pointedly looking at Rukia who was oblivious to their conversation. "And I can guess about what."

Ichigo followed her gaze and had to choke back a gasp when he noticed who she was referring too. He immediately glared at his young sister who was smirking at his warming face. "Fuck off, Karin."

"ICHIGOOO!"

The orange head barely got up in time and block his father's 'good morning' kick. "What the hell is wrong with you, old man?!"

"Ichigo!" Isshin yelled as he spun in midair to deliver a back kick, which was also blocked. "How dare you use such horrible words in front of your sister?! Do you need me to teach you some manners?!"

"Shut up!" he yelled as he punched his father in retaliation. The two continued their usual breakfast rituals while the Karin continued eating her breakfast and Rukia soon joined her, already unbothered by the commotion happening behind her.

"Otousan! Oniichan!" Yuzu gasped, "Please stop! It's really hard to wipe the blood off the floor!"

"Don't worry my sweet angel!" Isshin screamed from the cloud of dust, "I will beat your brother up for making you worry!"

"You're the one who causing the problem!" Ichigo yelled as he grabbed the back of his father's head and smashed it to the ground. "Now stay down!" When he was sure his father was properly unconscious (because if he wasn't, he'd jump on Ichigo the moment he looked away), he got up and dusted his pants. "Crazy old man," he grumbled. How a man like him was once a powerful captain in the Gotei 13 was just over his head.

"Here."

He looked up to see Rukia handing him his bag. Taking it from her, he followed her to the door as he called out, "We're leaving."

"Bye!" Yuzu's sweet and Karin's grumbling voices called back to them.

The two shoved their feet into their shoes and made their way out the door, effectively closing the door just in time to avoid his father charging towards them but ending up slamming into the door instead. "Serves him right," Ichigo chided as he walked away from the house.

Rukia chuckled. "I love these mornings."

"Only because you're not the one he's attacking!" he spat at her. She laughed out loud as she looked up at him. While he was glaring ahead, she noticed something that stopped her laughs but still held the amused smile on her face. She quickly stepped in front of him and stopped him. He frowned at her. "What?"

"Looks like your father also got something out of you too," she said as her thumb came up to wipe away the blood that was at the corner of his lip. "You should really clean up after a fight."

Ichigo said nothing as he watched her concentrating on wiping the dry blood off his lip. He relished at the feeling of her hand against his skin and subconsciously leaned closer to it.

"There we go," she announced she was done and dropped her hand. "Now you don't look so barbaric."

"Che," he snorted.

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

The two stiffen when a third voice suddenly came into their conversation, breaking the calm peace that was around them in a single moment. They reluctantly looked over to see Keigo staring at them with wide shocked eyes, pointing an accusing finger at them while Mizuiro was smiling mischievously at them.

Ichigo groaned in frustration. "What do you want Keigo?"

Kiego immediately ran up to them and grabbed Ichigo by the shoulder while crying out familiar fake tears. "Ichigo, how could you betray me by getting a girlfriend before me?!" he wailed, and continued before Ichigo could stop him. "And you took my beautiful and innocent Kuchiki-san no less!"

"Shut up!" Ichigo punched him in the face. "Rukia and I are not dating!"

"Then what was that sweet act that we just saw?" Mizuiro asked, still smiling his creepy grin.

"I was just helping him get something off his face," Rukia answered him, both conversing over the noise of Keigo screaming profanities with every punch Ichigo delivered.

Mizuiro shrugged his shoulders with a suggestive look. "Was it something you might have left on him, Kuchiki-san?"

Rukia immediately started her fake, school girl giggle. "Don't be silly. He just got some blood on his lip after getting beaten up by his father."

"What the hell are you talking about? He did not beat me up." Ichigo glared at her as he finally released a bloody Keigo from his grasp. Straightening his clothes, he turned to continue towards school. "Let's go before we're late."

Rukia followed behind him as she continued her talk with Mizuiro while Keigo, who had miraculously recovered, was whining at Ichigo again for taking his angel. The orange head tired to ignore this so-called friend, but his patience was running thin by the time they arrived at the school.

"—and then I bet you took her to your room and forced her to do all those things that parents wouldn't approve of, except your father!" Keigo screamed, earning looks from the other students in the class. "Who knows how much you have tainted her! Ichigo you are evil! Why did you take the one good thing in my life—"

Ichigo finally lost it. "SHUT UP!" He grabbed Keigo by the collar and threw him across the room and watched in satisfaction at how he slammed into the wall and fell on the floor with a 'thud.'

"Do you feel better now?" Rukia asked with a smug tone.

"Shut up," he repeated, but more softly as he sat back down.

Soon class started and all the chattering died down as their homeroom teacher came in to start the long day. Hour after hour one teacher would replace the previous teacher to teach a different subject that seemed unessential in the long run. Ichigo suppressed all his yawns as he stared at the black board with a bored expression. He took a peek around the room and wasn't shocked by what his classmates were doing: Chad was quietly taking notes in the back of the class; Inoue was sleeping on top of her notes with her head covered; Ishida was taking notes madly from the front of the class but occasionally bending down to embroider another corner of what looked like a torture-dress for Kon; Mizuiro was silently listening to music with only one earphone on; Keigo and Chizuru were getting kicked and glared at by Tatsuki whenever they tried to sneak over to the sleeping Inoue; and Rukia was doodling all over her notebook with stupid Chappies again.

Nothing much changed even during lunch. Only this time Chad was eating his lunch, Inoue was telling Ishida her latest discovery of a new red bean paste recipe, Mizuiro was talking to his girlfriend on his phone, and Tatsuki was now upfront punching the life out of Keigo.

Yup, life was just peaceful.

"_Beep! Beep! Beep!"_

That was until Rukia's phone rang.

"Eugh!" Ichigo groaned as he quickly cleaned up both their bento's and tossed it to Ishida. "Put those away for us." Before anyone could stop them, Ichigo slammed his Shinigami Substitute Badge against his chest while Rukia popped a Soul Candy into her mouth. Their souls blasted out of their bodies that landed on the floor as if dead. "We'll take care of this fucker."

"Stop talking and let's go!" Rukia called out to his as she started running on ahead of him.

"Wait up bitch!" Ichigo shouted and quickly followed after her. Everyone looked onwards as the two disappeared in a blink of an eye and as they jumped off the top of buildings over Karakura.

"Where is it at?"

Rukia clicked on some buttons on her phone as she continued to shunpo. "It's by the river!"

"Right!" They two immediately landed on the bridge over the river just in time as a big splash came from just next to where they were standing, sprays of water wetting through their clothes.

"_AUUUUUUUUURRGH!_"

Neither of the two shinigami moved from their spot nor blinked as the rest of the water fell from the big splash.

"What do you think?" Ichigo asked as a smug look appeared on his face.

Rukia raised a not-so-amused eyebrow at him. "This isn't a game, Ichigo. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"But it makes this job a lot more entertaining. If I don't then it'd be too boring and too easy." He turned back to look at her with a pout, although his eyes were gleaming with amusement.

She rolled her eyes in defeat. "Fine. I bet I can take it out in five minutes flat."

"Then I bet two minutes. Loser has to clean my room for a week."

"Deal!" she said just in time to jump up and slashed their zanpaktou's to slice off the Hollow's tail from slamming down on the wooden bridge.

The Hollow shrieked in pain and swung down its fist to attack the Shinigami that was standing above the waters. But instead of making contact with its enemy, the Hollow's fist landed on the waters, sending off splashed of water all over the air again.

Out of nowhere Rukia appeared behind him and she positioned her arms in front of her. "Bakudō 61. Rikuj ōkōrō!"

Six bright yellow bars appeared and quickly secured around the torso of the Hollow. It shrieked as it tried to break free but Ichigo appeared in front of him with Zangetsu held up high above his head. "AUH!" he screamed as he swung down with all his might.

The Hollolw jumped off to the side just in time to avoid the Zanpaktou from breaking its mask. But it wasn't fast enough to avoid the attack all together. "_AUUUURGH!_" it shrieked at the pain of losing an arm. Suddenly it opened its mouth really wide as it thrashed around.

The sudden light appearing at the edge of its fang was noticed by Rukia and she knew immediately what it was. "Ichigo!" she screamed at the man who was getting ready for another attack, not noticing the cero that was ready to fire at him. She pushed off the water and hurled her way towards the Shinigami Substitute.

"AUH—RUKIA!" Ichigo's war cry was cut short when the said woman suddenly appeared next to him, pushing him out of the way when a cero blasted towards them out of nowhere. The attack missed Ichigo, but Rukia wasn't so lucky.

"EUGH!" she screamed in pain as she fell towards the water.

"RUKIA!" Ichigo dived after the falling body and grabbed her in time before falling into the water. He held her tightly against his chest and used shunpo to return to the bridge they were previously on in order to take her away from the enraged Hollow that was getting ready for another cero. "Rukia! Are you okay?"

The petite woman hissed in pain as she held onto her burnt and bleeding shoulder that couldn't avoid the cero.

Ichigo gritted his teeth as his hand came up to hold over hers, applying pressure to stop the bleeding. Images of the days Rukia almost died in Hueco Mundo in his arms flashed into his mind, only boiling his anger. "Fucking midget. That's why you should just let me handle these shits!"

"Shut up!" she hissed, "If you still believe that then just get rid of that Hollow already!"

He glared at the Hollow—still encased in the kido—charging towards them with a cero ready. "Just wait here," he dangerously whispered as he gently set her down. In a flash, he disappeared only to reappear in front of the Hollow to deliver the final blow. "AUGH!" he screamed in complete anger as Zangetsu made contact with the white mask of the Hollow. It gave one last shriek before deteriorating into dust. Ichigo, not bothering to check if the Hollow was completely gone yet or not, ran back to Rukia and lifted her in his arms. "Hold on. I'll take you back home."

No later had he said those words did he shunpo to arrive at the Kurosaki clinic. "Oyaji!" he screamed as he rushed inside.

Isshin, who was looking over one of his patients' paperwork, looked up to see his son out of his human body and in his Shinigami uniform, holding an injured Rukia in his arms. He immediately led him to an empty room. "What happened?"

"Fucking Hollow shot a cero at us," Ichigo cursed as he gently laid Rukia down on the bed. He leaned over her to wipe her sweat bangs off her forehead and watched her in concern. "You're going to be okay now."

"Idiot," she glared at him, "I know that."

Even in this situation, Ichigo couldn't help but smirk at her sarcastic comment. He moved to the side to give his father room to tend to her injured shoulder.

"It's not too bad," Isshin said as he dabbed the wound with alcohol-soaked cotton. Rukia bit her lower lip to stop herself from screaming. "Do you want me to call someone to heal that for you?"

"No," she gasped, "I can take care of it. I just need to concentrate."

"That's going to be hard with this injury," he replied but immediately dropped the topic when her free hand came up to her shoulder started to emit some reiatsu to start healing. He stepped back to give her room and watched as the blood stopped flowing and slowly start to heal. But it wasn't long before she stopped in exhaustion, her wound still not completely healed. "See what I mean?" he half joked and half chided.

Rukia lightly chuckled as she allowed him to tend to whatever remained of her wound. She looked past his shoulders and her violet eyes landed at the other man that was in the room. Once their eyes met, she tried to give him a reassuring smile but he didn't appear amused. And she knew why.

The moment she got hit, his nightmares returned to him. The images of her, bloody and half dead, held in his arms during the Winter War as they whispered promises of a long, peaceful, name-calling, constant fighting, and happy future together. But that wasn't the only memory that he remembered.

She saw his eyes changing into a different shade as he remembered how his mother had done the same thing all those years ago by that same river. And she was right.

As Ichigo watched his father tend to her wound, Ichigo held her gaze knowing full well she could see his thoughts. Flashes of a dying Rukia and a dead mother was everywhere in his mind and he couldn't get it out.

"There we go," Isshin announced as he finished wrapping her shoulder. "Just keep this on for awhile and you can heal up the rest after you gain back some strength."

"Thank you."

He smiled his characteristic smile. "Don't mention it. I'd do anything for my third-daughter." He laughed proudly and Rukia chuckled along with him. "Now, why don't you guys go grab your bodies and come back? I don't think it's a good idea to stay at school right now."

"Sounds like a good idea," she nodded in agreement as she sat up. Jumping off the bed, she made her way to Ichigo and smiled. "Ready?"

"…Yeah," he whispered as they walked back outside.

Outside the sun was slowly starting to cloud over, and Rukia glared at it the moment she noticed it. "Shit, looks like we have to be fast. It looks like it's going to rain soon."

"Get on."

Rukia turned to the side, expecting to see him standing next to her in his tall glory but she only saw the sky above. She looked down to see that Ichigo had knelt down on the ground and presented his back to her. "I can walk."

"But if we did then it'd be night by the time we get there. This way it's faster and I wouldn't have to worry about you toppling over in pain. Now hurry up."

Rukia rolled her eyes as she got onto his back. His hands wrapped around her thighs as he stood up and made their way back to school. She sighed as she placed her head against his shoulder, her warm breath tickling his bright hair. Their silent walk continued even as they arrived at the bridge where they previously were. The gentle breeze, the darkening skies, and the warmth from Ichigo's back were slowly luring her into sleep when his voice suddenly brought her back.

"How's the shoulder?" he asked.

"Mhm," she sighed as her arms tightened around his neck.

"Do you want Inoue to finish healing that shoulder?"

She shook her head, knowing he could feel it against his neck. "No, I'm sure I'll be able to finish the job after I get some sleep. It doesn't hurt as much after your father gave me some painkillers."

"When did he give you those?"

"While you were too busy thinking about the past."

Ichigo immediately stopped in his steps as his entire body stiffened.

Rukia sighed again. "Ichigo."

"Rukia," he stopped her, "We made a promise."

"I know."

"We promised to continue living."

"And I'm still alive."

"I'm not going to lose you like my mother."

"And you're not going to," she told him. She lifted herself higher to place her cheek against his. "Ichigo, I'm really alright. There is no reason to worry so much."

But Ichigo's eyes were hidden under his orange bangs as his hands on her thighs tightened. "Rukia," he warned.

But Rukia just ignored it. "Please stop worrying over me."

"How can I not?!" he yelled, "How can I not worry when I'm still haunted by those days I almost lost you!"

"Ichigo—"

The rest of her sentence was swallowed back into her throat when he suddenly placed her down on the middle of the empty bridge to stare straight into her violet orbs. "Rukia," he continued, "If something happens to you, I don't know if I'll be able to handle it this time. If you disappear, who knows what crazy stuff I might do to get you back?!"

She immediately frowned at his words. "You don't mean that."

"Of course I do!" His arms went out and grabbed her shoulders, forgetting how one of them was injured. But even if it did hurt, Rukia's face gave off none of those emotions. "Rukia, I don't want anything to happen to you. I want you to stay by my side longer than the years that that old Yamamoto had lived through. If something does happen, you know more than I that there's no way I'd sit around pretend like you never existed in my life."

"Ichigo, stop," she warned but he promptly ignored it.

"Dammit, I was planning on waiting to for our relationship to naturally take its course, but now I don't want to because it's taking too long. I want to stay by your side and protect you like I had promised!"

"Enough!" Rukia shouted over him, "Stop spouting out nonsense like it's really going to happen!"

Ichigo was slightly taken aback by her sudden outburst. "What are you talking about?"

Her labored breathing and thumping chest was loud in her ears. "I'm talking about you talking about all this desire to spend eternity with me when it's not going to happen."

At first he was confused. Then he was angry. "What are you talking about?! You should know as well as I do that it's going to happen, so why deny it?! You said you remembered all those promises we made to one another but now you don't want to stay with me?"

"I promised to live and continue being your _nakama_, but I never promised I'd do it by your side," she told him coldly.

His frown deepened as his hold started to hurt her. "'_Nakama_?' You think we're still just _nakama_? After everything we've gone through?"

She nodded, resolve in her eyes. "Yes."

"That's bullshit!" he shouted, "Rukia, don't tell me you haven't noticed the obvious changes between us! We have passed the lines of _nakama_'s a long time ago! It's only natural we'd be together!"

"What makes you think it's going to happen?"

"Because," he leaned forward and the hand that was pressing on her wound came up to caress her cheek, "We are destined to be together. How can you deny this after all the shit that we've been through?"

"But don't those 'shit' tell you how we're not destined to be together?" she said right back at him, "Me being here is already setting off the balance between our worlds. And crazy stuff has been happening because it was a way of 'destiny' telling us we were not meant to be."

"Don't say that," he begged as he placed his forehead against hers, his quick breaths fanning over her. His other hand slid down her arm and played with her cold fingers. "Please don't deny 'us.'"

"Ichigo."

He shuddered at how cold her voice suddenly sounded. _Damn that Kuchiki pride_.

"You are human. I am not. It is only a matter of time before I get called back to Soul Society and never see you again."

"I can always see you back there," he quickly retorted, "I can go there with you."

"No, don't you dare say that," she stopped him. "You will live the rest of your human life in this world. And when the time comes, you will enter Soul Society like all souls."

But her words only made his grit his teeth in anger. "But then there's a chance I might not remember you."

"Then that will be for the best."

"No it isn't!" Ichigo shouted as he pulled back to glare at her. "How can you deny everything that has been going on between us?! Those touches? Those kisses? I know you remember them because I can't get them out of my fucking mind!"

"Ichigo—"

"For once, get rid of that fucking Kuchiki pride and listen to your heart! Why the fuck am I the one who is saying all this shit and you're not? You think this is fun for me to just spill out all of my emotions? I never do this but I am for you, so why can't you?!"

Rukia simply didn't say anything as she waited for him to finish.

Ichigo heaving chest was starting to hurt and the trickling of a coming rain wasn't helping his situation. He pulled her into his chest and held her tight. "Please," he begged, "Don't deny it."

She remained still in his embrace, not hugging him back like she usually does, but keeping her Kuchiki posture perfect. "Let go."

"No."

"Ichigo, let go or else."

"NO."

"Kurosaki Ichigo, don't try my patience and just let—mmh!" Her yells were cut off when a familiar pair of lips claimed her own, pressing into her to convey all his thoughts, fear…love into her. He moved in the same way they always moved whenever he wanted her to respond, but this time she didn't give in. She pressed her lips tightly together to prevent him from gaining entrance and to prevent her heart from breaking any more. Finally she couldn't stay still. Her tiny hands came up and firmly pressed against his chest to shove him back. "Stop it!" she shouted.

"Why?!"

"Because this is wrong!" she answered, her calm demeanor gone and panic now in her tone. "This was wrong from the very beginning so we need to stop now!"

His frown deepened to a point that it looked like his eyebrows were touching. "We have long since passed the point of no return, Rukia," he growled.

But she shook her head. "Not unless I leave now."

"What—"

"Find yourself a better person, Ichigo," she continued, noticing how her words were causing that expression on his face: panic and desperation. "Find a human girl and give your heart to her instead. What's the point in giving it to me when I don't want it?"

"Rukia—"

"If!" she kept going, not giving him a chance to speak this time. "Even if I wanted it, I don't deserve it. If we do get together, what proof do we have that it'll work? We fight constantly to the point when we don't want to even see one another. We're constantly in danger and there is always a chance I won't come back from a mission. Then what do we do then?"

Ichigo quickly replied the moment she paused. "We fight because that is the only way we both know how to show our emotions. And never have I ever wanted to not see you because of a petty argument. I always want to be by your side. So even if you're in some kind of danger, I will be right there to protect you, just as much as I know you will do the same for me."

His sweet words have already been tugging at her heart and Rukia knew she can't continue this conversation any long. She had decided, long ago, if this topic ever came up between them then it was time for her to leave. She will not become the weakness of the great hero of the Winter War. One sandaled foot left the ground and took a step back. "Then let's stop this right now before we both can't leave."

Ichigo's eyes widened as he saw her taking another step back. "Stop, don't you dare move anymore."

"No," she shook her head as she took another step. "I won't. I can't."

"Yes you can," he said, pleading her with his eyes as drops of rain started to weigh down his hair, "Don't you dare leave me again."

"I have to." Rukia cursed herself silently when her words came out in a choked sound as the back of her eyes started to sting. "I wish we never had met. I regret giving you my powers that day."

Her words were like a slap against the face. He was starting to get desperate and took a step towards her. "Don't say that. You don't mean it—"

"I do," she shouted to stop him, at which point she was now a good distance away. "And don't you dare come after me this time Ichigo because if you do, then I will never forgive you." She turned around and was starting to run away when he shouted after her.

"Rukia!"

"No!" she shouted back immediately to stop him from chasing her. She stopped for a second and refused to look back at him as tears were now blending with the falling rain against her wishes. "Don't you dare stop me because you don't understand!"

"Understand?! I understand everything perfectly!" Ichigo shouted back at her, "But the problem is you who is refusing to admit that there's something going on—"

"There is nothing going on between us! There is no _us_!" she screamed at him.

Ichigo didn't say anything and if anyone was there they would have noticed the obvious tension hanging in the air. "Rukia," he softly called out.

"Please," she begged, "Don't follow me." Before Ichigo could say anything else, she disappeared in a flash as her shunpo quickly took her away from the river and towards Urahara _shoten_ to return to her _home_.

Ichigo stared at the empty spot where Rukia was standing merely seconds ago, his mind and heart going crazy as they refused to believe it was really over. That she wasn't going to come back and give him that smile that she only showed to him. He could still feel her warmth on his back, her sweet smell that just natural came from her, her tiny hands that always fitted perfectly in his, the softness of her lips that loved to play with him as they both fought to dominate over one another like every other fights they had.

The sound of the falling rain splashing into the river below wasn't making his heart feel any better. His head dropped as he refused to show the world his emotion. "Fucking rain," he cursed.

* * *

A/N: Depressing, huh? I've been wanting to write something like this for awhile (and I haven't written a story that wasn't AU in a while either) and decided to take this chance to write it.

Bet you guys can't wait to see what happens. Will Ichigo chase after Rukia or will she come back to him? If you want to know, please review and I will upload the next chapter sooner!

THANKS for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: THANK YOU'S to everyone who reviewed! I was so happy to know that so many people liked the first part. It really got me excited. Here is the second and final chapter of the two-shot. Sorry for not uploading it faster; finals are coming up and I'm really busy.**

**Please read below and see what happens to our favorite duo. Will they find love? Or separate forever?  
**

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Bleach

* * *

Rukia tried her best to smile in front of everyone but her face was too stiff, very unlike the gentle expression she usually wore. In fact, everyone noticed her constantly swollen eyes, which the servants at the Kuchiki estate had confirmed that it was due to her constant crying at night.

Questions started as to why the Kuchiki princess had been so distraught lately.

She was forced to return home and never return to Karakura.

She had a fight with the great hero of the Winter War.

Her brother found out and stopped her from eloping with the hero.

Her pet bunny that the hero bought her after the war suddenly died.

The Chappy show was going to get cancelled.

Rumors went on and on but no one knew which was true because the topic of their conversation wouldn't say anything. Her mouth remained closed unless it was necessary for her to speak. She was even quieter than her older brother.

Days turned into weeks, by then rumors were escalating to crazy degrees. Her friends were very worried about her health but no matter what they said, she would still go to work and fulfill the duties she hadn't been able to do since she was away.

And that was the thing: nobody was allowed to say the word 'Human world,' 'Hero,' 'Orange,' and especially 'Kurosaki Ichigo' in front of her or else her face would immediately contort in pain and become completely cold. Someone even stated to have seen her running away to cry in a ditch.

That was when her friends all figured out that the reason for her distress was caused by none other than Ichigo. They whispered how they weren't surprised, seeing as how often they fought even about the smallest things. But what they couldn't figure out was how big was the fight this time that she wasn't going back to the human world and _he_ wasn't coming to get her?

The possibilities were endless, but they were so sick of rumors and not the actual facts that they were set on finding the truth. That was why they were pressing their ears against the door to eavesdrop on the report Renji was giving to Byakuya after he made a quick trip to meet the source of the problem.

Byakuya remained impassive as Renji straightened his shoulder to recall his account at what happened in the human world.

_Flashback_

_Ichigo groaned as he continued to suck on the straw of the empty juice box. "What do you want?"_

_Abarai Renji, who had just landed on the school rooftop where everyone were having their lunch, glared at the man in front of him, ignoring the curious looks of others. "I want the truth."_

"_Alright, you only got those tattoos to cover your residing hairline."_

"_Not that!" he shouted, then paused to think before quickly replying, "And that's not true!"_

"_Fine," Ichigo shrugged his shoulders, "Byakuya really needs to get off his high horse and take out that six feet pole out his ass."_

_Renji was turning red like his hair. "Not that! I'm talking about Rukia!"_

"…"

_Everyone looked over at Ichigo who became suddenly stiff, his glares giving off danger warnings. But he didn't say anything, just like every time anyone of them had asked where Rukia disappeared off to the past few weeks._

_Renji knew something big happened just by the expression on the young Shinigami Substitute's face. "What happened between you two?"_

"_Mind your own fucking business," Ichigo growled as he stood up and made his way back inside the school building, his body completely tense and his hands curled into tight fists._

_Nobody bothered him the rest of the day at school. Not even the teachers called on him to answer the questions because everyone could feel his mood emitting off of him. But Ichigo could still feel Renji's reiatsu near the school grounds, the red head purposely sending it off to let him know he wasn't done yet._

_As the school bell rang at the end of the day, Ichigo stayed behind to wait for everyone to clear out the grounds. His friends didn't approach him, having figured out why he was waiting. Minutes passed as Ichigo stood by the window to make sure the coast was clear. Once the grounds cleared up, he grabbed his bag and pulled it over his shoulder._

_Taking slow steps, Ichigo finally came up to the middle of the school soccer field where Renji was waiting for him, still in his Shinigami form. Thankfully there was no soccer club today so campus was empty, allowing Ichigo the chance to talk to the red head without appearing crazy to any possible onlookers._

"_Why are you still here?" he immediately asked once he stopped a few feet away from the other man, his fists in his pocket and his frown still lower than usual._

"_To get an answer," Renji answered him, "The moment I saw Rukia's distraught appearance when she came back to Soul Society few weeks ago, I knew something happened between you two."_

"_Psch," Ichigo snorted, "Why are you saying it like as if it's my fault?"_

"_Because most of the time it is," Renji smirked, almost laughing at the glare he received._

_Ichigo crossed his arms in front of his chest and shook his head. "Well, this time it isn't."_

_A nonexistent eyebrow went up. "So you're saying its Rukia's fault?"_

"_Yeah."_

_This time Renji snorted. "Psch, that's pretty manly of you; blaming your problems on a woman."_

"_Let's see how manly you are when a girl denies the special connection you two have and runs away after breaking your heart."_

_Renji opened his mouth to say something but only ended up gaping. "Wha—what?"_

_Ichigo nodded his head. "You heard me: Rukia was the one who left _me_ just because she thought it was wrong."_

"_I…um—that's…shit," Renji cursed off to the side. To be honest he wasn't sure how to reply to this. Sure he—just like everyone else—figured there was something going on between them, but it was still different to hear it being said. Not to mention that that meant Ichigo and Rukia talked about it already, which also meant that they weren't that dense._

_He knew a little part of him wanted them to be, so he wouldn't have to suffer from seeing her smiling at _Ichigo's_ side instead of his. But he had been bracing himself for quite awhile because he knew it was inevitable and he truly wanted nothing but the best for his two best friends. He had taken his heart back and ready to move on…but Rukia rejected _him_?_

"_Then…you—"_

_Ichigo rolled his eyes, already tired of Renji's stuttering. "You should really get your brain checked out because you're not making any coherent words right now."_

"_Prick," Renji glared, "What I'm trying to say is: you two actually addressed the topic of your relationship?"_

"_Yeah," he sighed, "And it didn't go the way I wanted it to."_

"_But I still need to congratulate you."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because I never thought you'd get the balls to actually confess to her."_

_Ichigo growled lowly in his throat, ready to just pounce out of his body and beat up that red head into a bloody pulp. "I'm not that dense…and neither am I impotent," he added the last part as he suddenly remembered how many times his old man and almost all the other guys he knew always asked if that was one of the reasons he was shy in front of girls. "I was waiting for things to progress naturally but that plan was shot down the moment Rukia decided she didn't want that to happen."_

_Renji frowned as he went into deep thought (which was starting to hurt). "But why would she do that? We all know how you two feel about each other."_

"_As much as I like how much you guys know about our relationship and personal life," Ichigo snarled sarcastically, "I'd prefer it if you guys just butt out of this for awhile. Rukia needs her space and I'm giving it to her."_

"_That's pretty mature of you, Ichigo, but also pretty stupid." Renji stepped closer and placed a reassuring hand on the other man's shoulder. "This 'space' is making Rukia even more depressed. She spends all day either locked up in her room or her office, only coming out to travel to and fro. If she sees anything orange or see strawberries, she would tense up and run away. She's no longer the tough girl we all knew; she's rotting inside-out."_

_A flash of worry crossed Ichigo's eyes as he listened. When Renji was done, he shrugged his hand off his shoulder. "And it's killing me to know I am the cause of it."_

"_Then what are you waiting for?"_

"_For that stupid midget to open her eyes and to act on what she really wants," Ichigo told him, "I already tried pounding the truth into her before but she doesn't want to listen so I'm waiting. And I will wait until she figures this out herself."_

_Renji blinked at him in shock, pity, admiration and, a hint of, jealousy. "What if she doesn't?"_

_Ichigo quickly answered as if he had already practiced the answer a thousand times. "Then I will wait until I '_naturally'_ meet up with her again."_

_A frown appeared on Renji's face as he realized what that meant. "You mean, when you die."_

_For some reason Ichigo smirked at him. "Looks like you're brain isn't completely dead, dumbass."_

_Renji promptly ignored his smartass comment. "But what if you don't remember anything from this world?"_

"_I won't forget," he told him sternly, almost as if he knew something the other didn't. "Because I know we were destined to be together so nothing is going to stop me from being with her again. I remember that little boy who was stuck in a body of the parakeet Chad owns and he remembered him when we first went to Soul Society. If that kid could keep his memories, then surely so could I."_

"_But it's not that simple! The chance of you remembering is random!" Renji shouted, "So don't wait and just go to her now! Who knows if someone might come by and snatch her away?"_

"_There is nothing more that I'd like to do than to go grab that midget and bring her back here. But…" he paused as he ran a shaky hand through his unruly hair. "I know she'd hate me even more if I did that. And she would look for a way to leave me again. It would ruin my entire purpose of being with her."_

"_So you're just going to wait?"_

_Amber eyes stared at him, full of resolve and pain at the same time. "Yes."_

_The red head sighed in frustration. "Geez, you two are way too alike; both stubborn to the core."_

"_I know," he sadly smiled._

_Renji nodded as he turned around and started to walk away. "I got it. I have to go back and tell this to taicho before he decides to just come and kill you. I'll see you later." He was about to jump up and shunpo away but Ichigo's stopped him._

"_Renji."_

"_What?" He turned around to see his once-opponent still smirking sadly at him._

"_When you see Rukia…tell her I don't regret a single moment we had shared together and that I'd be willing to wait however long she needs for her to come back to me."_

_Renji stared at the orange head before scoffing. "I'll tell her if I can remember all that sappy shit."_

_Ichigo chuckled. "Thanks."_

_End of Flashback_

"That's everything, taicho."

Byakura continued his paperwork as if that was all he had been doing. But in reality he had heard everything his vice-captain had reported and was gripping his brush to the point that it was about to snap into two. "You're dismissed."

Renji bowed deeply in respect as he exited his captain's office. He had been working under that man for years and knew that even though he seemed impassive, Byakuya heard every word and was going to do something. Once he was outside, he joined his group of friends and pressed his ear against the door to listen for any movement.

"What do you think he's going to do?" Matsumoto asked.

"Probably kill Ichigo," Hisagi answered.

But Ikkaku's shiny head shook side to side. "Not before I get there first. The moment any of you sees Kuchiki taicho heading to the Human world, let me know so I can go ahead of him."

"You're an idiot," Matsumoto slapped him over the head as she pressed her ear back onto the door. "I don't hear anything."

"Maybe he won't do anything," Hinamori suggested.

Nanao pressed her ear closer. "He did appear quite calm during the report."

"No, you don't know taicho," Renji quickly interjected, "He was tensed the entire time. I was so close to shitting my pants. I'm so glad I'm not Ichigo right now."

"That's because you're weak. Let's go spar outside and put some muscle into 'ya," Ikkaku smirked as he was about to get up from the crouching position he was in, but was immediately pushed back down by Matsumoto's large breasts.

"Shut up, I can't hear!"

As they all continued to bicker and bet what was going to happen next, Byakuya continued to work on the paperwork that was piled high on his desk. He knew very well what was happening on the other side of his door (seriously, those idiots weren't so quiet and their reiatsu was leaking with every word), but he was still on duty. So he had to use everything he had learned as a Kuchiki to remain in his seat and finish his work before addressing this _pest_ and his relationship with his sister.

All he had to do was calmly wait and everything will turn out alright…_Snap!_

Shit, he needed a new brush.

---

It was very dark outside by the time Byakuya was able to leave his office. The moment he opened his door, he didn't even acknowledge the presence of the seated officers that were sleeping by the door. They had apparently gotten tired after restless hours of waiting to see what Byakuya was going to do next that they fell asleep.

With careful steps, he made his way to his home, already feeling the weak reiatsu of his sister.

"Kuchiki-sama," his head servant bowed deeply on the floor the moment he entered his grand home, "Do you wish for me to prepare a warm bath?"

"No," Byakuya answered, "I need to see Rukia first. Prepare us some tea."

"Of course." The old man stood as quickly as he could and went to prepare the tea as Byakuya made his way to his sister's room. Once he arrived at the candle-lighted room, he stood by the door as he announced his presence. "Rukia."

There was some shuffling on the other side. _"Yes?"_

"May I come in? I need to talk to you."

Within seconds the doors open to reveal a tired looking Rukia who was greeting him. "How was your day, Niisama?"

He merely nodded as he stepped inside. Just as he sat down by the low table in the middle of the room, a servant came in to serve them tea while Rukia slowly took a seat across from her brother. Byakuya watched the tea being poured into his cup and once he dismissed the servant, he took a sip of the deep fragranced drink before finally looking up at his sister. "How was your day Rukia?"

"Very well," she whispered half-heartily, not even lifting a finger to the ceramic cup in front of her. She had grown quite thin in only a matter of weeks.

In the next few minutes, Byakuya merely stared at her slumped form, knowing full well how lifeless she had been these past few weeks after running back to Soul Society to escape one obvious person back in the real world. And from Renji's report, he now knew what was upsetting her so much.

That ryoka boy, who broke into Seireitei and defied all odds and logic, that ill-mannered and brash boy who came in and turned everything Byakuya knew upside-down, was the reason for his heart broken sister. No, not because he rejected her (because if he did, he'd be dead in millions of little pieces), but because she rejected _him_ for the sake of keeping the balance between their worlds.

But even still, he couldn't understand what the problem was. He had also been in her shoes: in love with a woman who couldn't be with him. But instead of giving up to the laws, they fought to be together. And no matter how short their marriage lasted, those five years before her death were the happiest moments of his life.

_Hisana_, he silently prayed in his thoughts, _If you can hear me, please help me with what I'm about to do._ And he was really going to need it as he prepared to do the one thing he thought he'd never had to do: defending that _kozo. _He took a sip of the tea to clear his throat before starting. "Rukia."

The said woman flinched at the tone of her brother's voice. "Yes?"

Byakuya stared at her stiff form. He wanted nothing more than to sigh at her weak state but thought better of it. Instead, he continued, "Do you remember what I told you about your sister?"

"…yes," she replied after a long, confusing pause.

"Hisana was just a woman from the dirty streets of Rukongai. I had to do everything within my powers to marry her. I had to face harsh words from my family, almost got kicked out of the clan, and disappointed my family. But none of that mattered because I still had Hisana by my side."

Rukia still refused to look up. "I see—"

"No, you don't 'see,'" he interrupted, causing his sister to finally look up at him. "Rukia, if you truly understand everything I had sacrificed to be with your sister, then you wouldn't be here in such a pathetic state."

The young Kuchiki stared at her brother, blinking her wide eyes. "I don't understand, Niisama—"

"I did everything to be with the woman I love. But sadly, you are doing nothing but walloping in despair," he calmly told her, "I expected more from you."

Rukia choked back a sob as she looked down again. "Niisama…at least nee-sama was here in Soul Society. I—he…we can't be together because we do not have that simple leisure. I will not go against the laws of my world just to be with him."

Byakuya wanted nothing more than to roll his eyes at her. Things would have been so much easier if only Hisana was here to smack some sense into their little sister. "Do you think love can be easily stopped because of simple laws? They have been made by man and can be changed by man. Surely that _kozo_ had showed that to you."

Rukia remained silent as she stared at the ground.

"And you should know that everyone here would defend you if anything was to get in the way of your happiness," he continued, using everything that he had to have not spat it out like a curse. "There are more people rooting for you two then you know."

The Kuchiki princess finally looked back up and Byakuya could easily see 'hope' returning to her dead eyes. Taking one last sip of his tea, he stood up from his seat and walked out of the room without giving his sister another look. But as he closed the _fusuma_ door behind him, he heard her tiny whisper. "Thank you…Niisama."

A small smile tugged at his lips as the Captain of the 6th division headed towards the family shrine for his daily prayer to his wife. Never had he spoken so much cheesy stuff in only a few minutes, but he knew Hisana would have been proud of him for doing it in her stead. Even if he despised the boy that had dodged his Senbonzakura and had unacceptable hair, he was willing to set everything aside for the happiness of his sister.

But the moment he breaks her heart, then he and everyone else in Soul Society wouldn't mind killing him in the most tortuously way possible. And he even had a fool-proof plan all set up, just waiting for the right moment to use it.

---

Like the past few weeks—has it really been almost two months now?—Ichigo silently walked his way back home, his partner-in-crime nowhere in sight. It was weird spending such a long time without her when she was a constant presence in his life for the past few years.

_After just dropping into my life like that, how can you expect me not to care about you?_ he sighed as he thought to himself. Nobody, not even his father, was asking him where Rukia disappeared off too. Not after the scary first few days when he'd do a 'Kenpachi' on a Hollow whenever someone asked him about her.

But now, he was kind of hoping someone would ask him where she was because he was afraid of her disappearing in their daily lives. And more than anything, he wanted someone to come and tell her how she was.

Some time back Renji had came to ask him what happened and he had hoped Rukia would have returned by now. But only the red head came back few days later, telling him his not sure what was happening.

A deadly look appeared on Ichigo's face as one person came to mind: Kuchiki Byakuya. That prick with a six feet pole up his ass must have done something to stop Rukia. He was always against the idea of Rukia spending so much time in the Human world that he must have taken this chance to separate them for good.

"I'm going to 'Bankai' his pink ass someday," he growled.

Ichigo continued his quiet walk—although his brain was going crazy with desire to blame _someone_ of his misfortune—when he stopped at a sudden sensation. At first he wasn't sure what it was. But the longer he spent concentrating on this particular feeling, a soothing warmth enveloped him.

Turning towards the direction that it was coming from, he calmly made his way towards it. Refusing to appear too desperate to find out whether his hunch was right or not, he slowly made his way towards the river. As he stepped onto the wooden bridge, he took slower steps as each one brought him a little closer to his destination.

At the center of the bridge, he came to a full stop as his target was only a few feet away from.

The subject took her time in turning her head towards him to acknowledge his presence. The moment she did and he saw those violet eyes, he was ready to drop everything and just run to her. But he kept his legs still as he examined her instead.

She appeared no different from before, but her clothes were looser on her, obviously because she had become thinner. And there were tired bags under her eyes, and large orbs he loved so much were dull until the moment they met his amber orbs. The light immediately appeared as she smiled sweetly at him.

"Hey."

A small smirk tugged on his lips. "'Hey' yourself. I thought you weren't coming back."

Rukia shrugged her shoulders as she held her hands behind her back to face him completely. "I wasn't…but Niisama told me to come back here. Something about you being incapable of defending this city by yourself."

"Che," he scoffed, "I fine by myself. Heck, I defeated him without breaking a sweat last time."

"But if it wasn't for him I might not have come back," she told him, noticing his disbelief, "Niisama told me what you told Renji several weeks ago. And he helped me talk to Central 46 and the elders of the Kuchiki clan about _our_ situation for the past few weeks. If it wasn't for him, I might not have been able to gain their approvals."

A groan escaped his lips as remembered how much he was cursing that man just now. "Does that mean I actually have to thank him?"

"Maybe," she shrugged, "I suggest a formal dinner."

"I'd rather go on a date with Kenpachi and duel with him."

A light chuckle came from the woman in front of him. "I knew you'd say that."

This time a smile really blossomed on his face as he took a step forward. "So, is there any other reason why you're here?"

She looked straight into his eyes, not budging as he took another step towards her. "Maybe."

"What's that?" Another step.

"I realized something," she replied.

Another step. "What?"

"That destiny cannot be ignored."

Ichigo finally appeared directly in front of her. "Good." He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her closer to him as he placed his forehead against hers. "I love you."

"I love you too, Ichigo," Rukia sighed in contentment as she closed her eyes to relish at their close proximity.

"Rukia," he whispered as his other hand came up to trace her warm cheek. "I'm never letting you go."

"You're turning too girly. Stop sprouting cheesy lines and kiss me already."

He chuckled as he pulled her flushed face against his own and finally sealed their promise with a deep, loving kiss that neither of them was going to deny from then on.

_Alive or dead, destiny continues to move and once the wheels continue to turn by the sands, it cannot be stopped by any outside force. Destiny continues and it is better to embrace it rather than deny it. _

…

…

…

But it sure didn't seem that way when Ichigo suddenly found himself having dinner with an angry Byakuya who stabbing his food with his chopsticks like he would the boy in front of him if he made one wrong move. He knew he should have gone with Kenpachi when that monster chased after him the moment he stepped into Soul Society.

Yup, maybe it would have been best if they had kept this a secret.

**The End**

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A/N: HAHA! That last part just came to me during the middle of this chapter so I had to put it in.

Well. how was it? Did you guys like it? I know Ichigo or Rukia might have appeared a bit OOC, but I have never really seen them struggling with their feelings for one another so I wasn't sure how to portray them. Hopefully it wasn't too off.

Anyways, thanks a lot for reading this and I hope you guys continue to support me with my other fanfictions. See you guys around! (And don't forget to review for this too!)


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